My Disappointing Trip To Dubrovnik, Croatia
May 19, 2009 by Darren Alff
I was super excited to finally arrive in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The view of the city as I crossed the massive stay cable bridge was impressive and exhilarating.
A cruise ship pulled into the harbor at the same time I cycled in on my bike.
A billboard on the side of the road pointed out the major highlights of the city.
The old town is at the southern most tip of the city and at the bottom of a long steep hill.
Unfortunately, they didn’t allow bicycles inside the city walls and there wasn’t anywhere to lock the bike up and store my panniers out on the street, so I placed my bicycle next to a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk and locked it to a street gutter. I then took a few minutes to throw all my valuables into my laptop bag before dashing inside the city walls to take in as much as humanly possible.
Inside the city walls, it was incredibly beautiful, but it was packed with tourists who slowly made their way about the city.
It was so crowded in some areas I couldn’t even move. There were just way too many people!
After spending no more than 20 minutes inside the city walls, I had to get the heck out of there. I was afraid that my bicycle was being stolen while I wandered around inside the city… and hearing the cruise ship couples complaining about the heat, the food on the boat, and other mundane things was absolutely driving me nuts.
As much as I loved the city, I hated the crowds. As I cycled back up the hill and out of Dubrovnik I kept thinking to myself, “Get me the hell out of here!”
The month prior to my arrival in the city had been spent on the coast of Croatia where I had enjoyed similar walled cities and old beach-side towns in near solitude. But this place was packed and I didn’t like it.
The city was really beautiful and I’d love to come back some day. I think I would have enjoyed myself a whole lot more had I been on foot and not tied down by my bicycle. And I’d come in the winter, when the cruise ships aren’t there… and neither are all the people.
Even outside the city walls, I couldn’t seem to get away from the tourists. They were absolutely everywhere… and they kind of spoiled my trip to Dubrovnik.
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10 Responses to “My Disappointing Trip To Dubrovnik, Croatia”
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Hey Darren,
I just discovered your website and its great. Could inspire me to do something similar next year … although I need to get fit first !
I can empathise with you about Dubrovnik. Its a stunning place, I visited there with a good friend in June 2004. We had a great time for 2 days, then the first (of 3) cruise ships turned up. We escaped to Lodrum (the small island just offshore) for a day, then fled to Korcula the next day …. which was great. But guess what ? The same cruise ship followed us there ! After 3 days in Korcula we had to leave – I took the Jadrolinija ferry from Split to Ancona and spent 6 weeks in Italy (which was fantastic). Ah, great memories of a wonderful holiday, which I definitely hope to repeat sometime soon. Looking forward to doing Montenegro next time as well as Croatia.
Happy travels and keep up the good work !
Mark
(from Cape Town, South Africa, but temporarily posted to Takoradi, Ghana)
You were disturbed by all the tourists?? What were you?
Ha. I was a tourist too! But there were just too many of us. So many, in fact, that it was hard to walk or move. I didn’t like that.
Kotor, Montenegro in my opinion was so much better, simply because the height of city fortress in Kotor kept most people out. This was great because the few people that dared to climb to the top actually got to enjoy it in relative solitude. In Dubrovnik, however, they just pull in with their cruise ships and flood the city with hundreds and hundreds of tourists.
And the lack of bike parking made it even worse.
But yes, I was a “tourist” as well.
I was able to visit Dubrovnik in December of 2008, and it was wonderful, despite the rain!! There were no crowds to speak of, and when I walked around the city wall I truly felt like the only person up there. On my last day the sun came out and it felt like summer, but still with no crowds.
Look,Dubrovnik is one of the most beautifull cities in the world,naturally there are lots of tourists….what did you expected???And of course they didn’t let you in the old city on your bike!!!!!
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Thank you for informing me about “no bicycle in Dobrovnik.”
I am cycle camping from Venice to Dubrovnik this year 2012. I intend to transport my bike in a carboard box by plane discarding it in Venice. Does anyone know how I can aquire a cardboard bike box in Dubrovnik or Cavtat, near the airport for the return journey. Carrying a bag is not an option.
I would try and contact a bike shop in Dobrovnik (if they have one) or a nearby city and see if they will hold a bike box for you, so that you can pick it up once you are in the area. If you can’t find a bike shop in the area, try and contact anyone that might have access to a large cardboard box you can use to pack your bike in (for example, appliance stores, furniture stores, etc.) Tell them when you are arriving in the city and ask them to hold the box for you. Then you can cut the bike down to the size you need and pack your bike in it for safe travel on the airplane.
I plan to visit dubrovnik in May – although I am obviously a tourist I don’t like any place so crowded that it becomes difficult to move around. Reading of your experience has really made me think again about visiting in May.
am glad that I came across your comments.
Maura, I wouldn’t not go to Dubrovnik just because it is super crowded at times. I was just disappointed with the place because, when compared to some of the other walled cities in that part of the world, Dubrovnik is over-advertised as a touristy place to go. From a tourist standpoint, you might like Dubrovnik very much. From a traveler’s standpoint, however, it isn’t the most authentic place in the entire world.